6 Mistakes to Avoid with Marketing Content

Most marketing content sucks. It’s either too long, doesn’t specify a clear, compelling benefit, or doesn’t address the right audience. Here’s how to make sure that doesn’t happen to you. This applies to B2B, B2C, your own site, or a product listing on another merchant’s site.

1. Know Your Audience.

This should be easy for marketers, but for some reason they often miss the mark.

You get 1 second to grab someone’s attention.

Make sure you are really, really speaking to the audience and what’s important to them.

Pause before writing anything and think very hard about how they view the world, what it feels like to be them, and what’s likely to be important to them.

2. Keep it Short and Simple (K.I.S.S.).

No one reads anymore.

A Tweet is about the longest any marketing copy should be.

If it’s any longer, put it into one sentence bullets. Also, rather than just skipping lines, use numbers or bullets.

It makes it easier for the brain to process for some reason.

3. Focus on Benefits.

Many marketers assume the benefits of their products are obvious.

But that’s because they are already educated about it.

Never assume the benefits of your product are obvious.

A benefit is always increasing something good or decreasing something bad.

Whether it’s happiness, costs, revenue, or pain, tell your audience what the benefit is and then briefly how your product brings them that benefit.

4. Use Simple Graphics.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

It’s much easier for people who process a simple graphic that gets the message across.

If chosen well, it can also elicit emotions in the audience which can inspire them to want to do business with you.

5. Write & Design for Mobile.

Most Internet browsing is now done on smartphones.

This is especially the case for busy people with money, who are generally your target customer.

People’s attention spans are even SHORTER on their phones. Content needs to be short sound bites like little Tweets.

6. AB Test EVERYTHING

If you’re not AB testing, you’re leaving money on the table… period.

Also, have someone senior periodically review the content. They typically will be able to see things and make suggestions that more junior marketers aren’t able to see (yet).